ATLANTA, Ga. (January 6, 2024) – With this year’s College Football Playoff (CFP) National Championship playing host to the Michigan Wolverines and the Washington Huskies, CLC, the nation’s leading collegiate trademark licensing agency, is working with CFP officials to protect visitors and fans from purchasing potential counterfeit and unlicensed merchandise.

CLC, the exclusive licensing agent for the CFP, University of Michigan and University of Washington, will work closely with investigators to patrol the areas around NGR Stadium and CFP events in Houston in search of counterfeiters selling “knock-off” merchandise.

“We are dedicated to ensuring an exceptional experience for the participating teams and their fans,” said Bill Hancock, Executive Director of the College Football Playoff. “This commitment extends to offering high-quality, officially licensed merchandise that serves as a meaningful memento of the game. Leveraging CLC’s enforcement network is integral to safeguarding our fans from counterfeit goods, preserving the integrity of their experience.”

Enforcement efforts surrounding the CFP began last week at the two Playoff Semifinal games: the Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential and the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

“CLC is dedicated to deterring potential counterfeiters aiming to exploit the excitement of passionate Michigan and Washington fans,” said Dave Kirkpatrick, SVP of Business Development for CLC. “Our goal is to safeguard fans from purchasing unlicensed, counterfeit merchandise that is often of inferior quality, while protecting the brands of the College Football Playoff and the participating institutions, as well as the officially licensed manufacturers that are authorized to sell approved merchandise.”

There are 45 companies officially licensed to produce approved merchandise bearing the marks of the College Football Playoff. Fans are encouraged to purchase only officially licensed CFP merchandise to ensure higher-quality products to serve as souvenirs of their national championship experience.

Consumer tips for purchasing officially licensed College Football Playoff merchandise:

• All officially licensed merchandise should display the “Officially Licensed Collegiate Product” or the CFP Foundation’s “Extra Yard for Teachers” hologram somewhere on the product or hangtag.

• The merchandise should depict the logos and trademarks of the College Football Playoff and participating teams in a tasteful manner.

• The tag on the garment should be intact. A torn or missing tag is evidence of a garment of inferior quality, one that likely would not meet the stringent quality standards put in place by the College Football Playoff and participating teams. 

• All merchandise should bear the name of the manufacturer somewhere on the product, either in the form of a hangtag, a neck label, or screen-printed directly on the garment. 

• All merchandise should have the appropriate trademark designations (i.e., TM ) next to a specific name or design.

Fans are encouraged to follow the above guidelines when shopping for merchandise online as well, since many counterfeiters target fans via social media and other online outlets.

Royalties generated from the sale of College Football Playoff merchandise help fund the CFP Foundation’s community engagement initiative, Extra Yard for Teachers. Extra Yard for Teachers is dedicated to honoring and supporting educators nationally and in the communities that host the CFP National Championship through the direct provision of resources, professional development and training, teacher recognition and the support of a college-going culture. Sales of officially licensed CFP merchandise have generated more than $8 million for Extra Yard for Teachers since its inception in 2015.

About the College Football Playoff

The College Football Playoff matches the No. 1 ranked team vs. No. 4, and No. 2 vs. No. 3 in semifinal games that rotate annually among six bowl games – the Goodyear Cotton Bowl, Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Capital One Orange Bowl, Allstate Sugar Bowl and Rose Bowl Game. This season’s Playoff Semifinals took place Monday, January 1, at the Rose Bowl Game and the Allstate Sugar Bowl. The city of Houston will host the College Football Playoff National Championship on Monday, January 8, 2024, at NGR Stadium.

For media inquiries, contact:

Tammy Purves, CLC, tammy.purves@clc.com, 770-799-3275